San Sebastian Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

San Sebastian is a city that can be easily explored on foot. However, one of the best things you can do as a tourist is to take the tourist bus. With the help of a tourist bus it is easier to locate the best of the city or just stroll around seeing everything from a comfortable seat.

The city of Donostia only has the City Tour tourist bus, its official bus. With this vehicle tourists can tour the entire city passing through at least 14 stops. It also has audio guides in several languages to know what you can find on the way and thus get more out of the ride.

The City Tour Donostia - San Sebastian tourist bus is the official bus and the only one of its kind in the city. The City Tour company also offers rides on a train to give a different experience. The bus is a double-decker with an open-top roof, while the train offers a panoramic view throughout the tour.

The bus is everyone's favorite option as it allows you to create your own personalized tour of the city. It is a Hop-on Hop-off service around Donostia, which means you can hop on and off as many times as you want. Your ticket is valid for 24 hours, so it can be an excellent option if you are traveling to San Sebastian for a day.

On board the bus you will find an informative audio guide that is available in Spanish, Basque, English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Chinese. This way most of the tourists will be able to learn about the sites that this bus travels through. You will be able to listen to this audio guide with headphones that you will be given once you are on board.

I suggest you pay attention to the content of the guide. Sometimes the information it provides helps tourists discover sites they had not considered visiting before. In addition, most of them are places where the City Tour Donostia - San Sebastian tourist bus passes by.

The first stop of the City Tour Donostia - San Sebastian tourist bus route is located on República Argentina Street, in front of the Victoria Eugenia Theater. In total, the tour lasts an average of one hour. During that time the bus travels around 14 stops, but people can start their tour at any of them. These are:

• Victoria Eugenia Theater
• Aquarium/Paseo Nuevo
• San Telmo/Parte Vieja
• Plaza Gipuzkoa
• Estación Tren-Bus/Tabakalera
• Gros Neighborhood
• Kursaal
• La Concha Beach
• La Perla
• Ondarreta
• Peine del Viento
• Monte Igeldo Funicular
• Barrio Antiguo
• Miramar Palace

The City Tour Donostia - San Sebastian tourist bus is ideal for people who do not know the city and want to see or explore the most touristic places. The best thing about this bus is that you can use it as many times as you want for a whole day, unlike the D-bus, the public transport of San Sebastian, which has fixed schedules and stops, designed for residents.

If you take the tourist bus you only have to pay around 15 € per day. On the other hand, if you take the public transport you have to pay around 2 € per trip every time you use it. During the night the ticket costs an average of 3 €. For a tourist who wants to explore the whole city it is not a good plan to spend so much money on transportation.

My recommendation is to take the tourist bus, because besides taking you directly to the best points of the city, you will be able to see from the inside. If you want to have a better view of the city it is better to sit on the second floor of the bus, as it is convertible.

If you feel like exploring the city further, you can always opt for a bike tour. Keep in mind that for this you should know how to handle it and preferably look for a local guide to avoid getting lost and get the best routes.

Staying on the bus to see the whole city from there is also a good plan. If so you will be able to see different attractions that are worth admiring. You could do the full one hour tour and then explore each one with more time. If you decide to do the full tour here I explain what you will see in each of them:

Victoria Eugenia Theater

The Victoria Eugenia Theater is located in Okendo Square. This whole site represents a great monumental wealth where not only the theater is located, but also the Hotel Maria Cristina. Around these two sites you can see the gardens and the river promenade.

If you want to explore this part of the city I recommend you to see a play. There is almost always a show that you can enjoy. You can see dances, concerts, movies and plays. Tickets are usually between 10 € and 30 € approximately.

Aquarium/Paseo Nuevo

At this station you will find the Paseo Nuevo of San Sebastian. From the Aquarium that borders the entire Mount Urgull and ends at the end of the Old Part of Donostia, next to Kursaal. It is also located next to the Concha Bay and the Cantabrian Sea, which makes it one of the most beautiful walks in San Sebastian.

You can also visit the Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro, a baroque work of the eighteenth century. I also recommend you to visit the Church of San Vicente, an ancient temple with gothic style. Finally, I recommend a visit to the San Telmo Museum, located at the foot of Mount Urgull. There you can see exhibitions dedicated to Basque history and culture.

San Telmo/Parte Vieja

At the San Telmo/Parte Vieja stop you can get the best views of the sea and the city from the Paseo Nuevo. At the end of this site, on Mount Urgull you can see the Aquarium of San Sebastian. In order to visit it you must enter the Museum of Natural Sciences. There you will learn all about the sea and its role in the history of Gipuzkoa.

I also suggest you visit Mount Urgull, a postcard-worthy site surrounded by the Cantabrian Sea except for the section that connects to the Old Town. At its highest point is the Castillo de la Mota where you will find the Casa-Museo de la Historia, another museum worth visiting.

Gipuzkoa Square

In the Plaza Gipuzkoa, located right in the center of the city, you can find a complex meteorological pavilion, a white marble table and a clock made of colorful flowers. In the center of the square you can stroll along a garden path that has been consecrated as a place of rest and meeting for the locals.

This site is chosen year after year for many cultural events and celebrations. In front of the square is the seat of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Near the square you can also see the City Hall, the Hotel María Cristina, the Plaza de la Constitución and the Victoria Eugenia Theater. I recommend you to visit the last one and see a play or dance.

In this station you can take a walk parallel to the Urumea River, located between the bridges of Maria Cristina and Santa Catalina. The Maria Cristina Bridge has four monumental obelisks at its ends and you can admire them before visiting the Cristina Enea Park next to the Tabakalera building. This site is an oasis within the city thanks to its beautiful trees, swans and peacocks.

Within the park is the Palacio del Duque de Mandas which houses the Cristina Enea Foundation and the former office of the Duke of Mandas, along with several exhibition halls and galleries.

In the neighborhood of Gros, located between the mouth of the Urumea and Mount Ulía, just in front of the Zurriola beach, you can also spend a pleasant time. The highlight of this place is the Kursaal. These are iconic cubes of San Sebastian that simulate the stranded rocks that separate from the Gros breakwater.

This site is world famous for being the official home of the San Sebastian Film Festival. There you can also find the Kubo hall, the Kutxa's exhibition center where you can find pieces of art.

This stop is definitely characterized by waves, surf and fun. Here you can access one of the main beaches of San Sebastian, Zurriola Beach. This beach is located between the Kursaal cubes and Mount Ulia.

On the beach you can find different activities such as volleyball, soccer and even surf courses. In this area you can also see the Zurriola Bridge and the Kursaal Conference Center and Auditorium.

This stop allows you to go to La Concha Beach, located in La Concha Bay, surrounded by the Igeldo and Urgull mountains. Nearby you can see other points of interest such as the Paseo de La Concha and La Perla.

In an itinerary in San Sebastian of two days or more, you should not miss a visit to this beach. You will see a beautiful beach with crystal clear water and clean golden sand. Try to plan a visit to this paradise before leaving Donostia.

These are three resorts that are very close to each other. The first, La Perla, is located in Zubieta, a neighborhood located a few kilometers from downtown. It is home to the Real Sociedad sports city and the Lasarte Racecourse.

The next stop, Ondarreta, is actually Ondarreta Beach, an urban beach bounded by Chillida's Peine de los Vientos and the Pico del Loro (Parrot's Peak). I recommend you to visit this beach when the tide is high because you will have enough space to lie down and sunbathe.

The Wind Comb is a stop named after one of the most famous works of Eduardo Chillida, a Spanish sculptor. Right at this stop you will be able to appreciate a sculptural ensemble formed by granite terraces and steel pieces. From there you can also observe the immensity of the sea.

Monte Igeldo Funicular, the Old Quarter and Miramar Palace

These are the last three stops of the tourist bus. First you will find the Monte Igeldo Funicular which is more than a century old. This site is connected to Ondarreta Beach thanks to Monte Igeldo by a path of only three minutes.

The next stop is precisely the neighborhood of El Antiguo that stretches along the west side of the bay. It is also flanked by the mountains of Igeldo and Aiete. At the eastern end of Mount Igeldo is the amusement park.

The last stop is the Miramar Royal Palace. This is the site of the Casa Real de Campo, a site chosen by the Queen Regent Maria Cristina. This was built specifically on the estate of the Count of Moriana, located between the center of the city and the Antiguo. Thanks to this location it has beautiful views of the bay.

If you visit this area you can enter the gardens for free. You can also enter the palace on certain occasions. Some of the concerts of the Musical Fortnight are even held here.

The ticket to board the tourist bus varies in price depending on the age of the user. If you are an adult you will pay around 15 €, if you are a child from five to twelve years old you will pay half the price.

You can buy this ticket in two easy ways. The most recommended is through the official City Tour website. This is ideal in case you are planning your vacation. Personally I advise you to make as many reservations as you can in advance. This will allow you to speed up all your trips, tours and experiences in the city.

If you cannot buy your ticket online, you can also buy it at the San Sebastian Tourism office. You can also purchase your ticket at any of the bus stops. You must talk to the driver in order to buy it.

The City Tour Donostia - San Sebastian tourist bus lasts one hour. The first bus leaves at 10:30 am. The last bus of the day leaves at 7 pm. All buses, regardless of whether they leave in the morning, afternoon or evening, take the same route through the city.

Please note that the bus schedule may change depending on the month. From July through September and during Holy Week, the last City Tour bus leaves at 7:00 pm. Between October and June the last bus leaves at 6 pm, while in April and May the schedule ends at 5 pm.

These schedules are due to the length of the day in San Sebastian. For example, the winter in Donostia makes the days approximately eight hours long, so it gets dark earlier and the bus runs until sunset. Taking into account these schedules you can better plan your vacations in San Sebastian.

When you buy your ticket for the tourist bus you can reserve it for a specific date. It will only be valid for one day on the schedule that is in effect at that time. If your plans have changed, you will be able to cancel your ticket only if you cancel it 24 hours in advance. This way you will receive a refund.

With the same ticket you can get on and off the bus as many times as you want in the same day. That is, you can take it at the first station to get to a specific place and walk to another stop and take it again. At no time will you have to recharge your ticket.

Taking this bus can be a good option when you plan to take a boat tour of San Sebastian. Some of the stops will leave you very close to the places you need to get to in order to make these plans. The most frequent stop to take a boat is Playa de La Concha. Are you up for a different day on this bus?